Monday, April 30, 2007

Researchers think the same cellulosic biomass might yield biofuels and the raw material for many products such as building materials and paints currently derived from fossil fuels. -- Jeff G.Ceres and Rohm and Haas to Study Plant-Based Bioproducts :April 2007"THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. and SPRINGHOUSE, Pa., April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. and Rohm and Haas Company , a leading manufacturer of specialty materials, today announced a research collaboration that will work toward producing plant-based alternatives to a petroleum-derived material used in thousands of home and industrial products."

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

This biorefinery expects to achieve a 10:1 net energy balance -- better than even the most efficient standard corn biorefineries. -- Jeff G. Producing Renewable Fuels From Renewable Energy : "In the fall of 2008, XL Dairy Group, Inc. will begin operations at its Vicksburg, Arizona, facility as a self-contained biorefinery designed to produce high-grade ethanol, biodiesel, milk and dairy products, and animal feed -- along with 100% of the energy required to run the plant."

Monday, April 23, 2007

When evaluating alternatives like ethanol, it always needs to be done in comparison to the commodities they replace, like petroleum. It's easy enough to find problems with any energy solution. Yet we still need energy, so we must choose the solution with the least problems. -- Jeff G.The answer isn't oil, either - Roanoke.com:by Diana Christopulos -- April 23, 2007"The true price of oil is much higher than what we pay at the pump."

Monday, April 16, 2007

Joint ADM and Purdue University Cellulosic Ethanol Project Selected for Funding by U.S. Department of Energy : "DECATUR, Ill., April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A joint BioEnergyproject of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) and Purdue Universityhas been selected to receive funding by the U.S. Department of Energy tofurther the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. Specifically, thePurdue-ADM project is focused on commercializing the use ofhighly-efficient yeast which converts cellulosic materials into ethanolthrough fermentation."

Saturday, April 14, 2007

In order to establish the infrastructure for eventually using gasses as an ethanol feedstock, we can start by using them as a fuel to replace natural gas and coal process fuels in existing corn kernel biorefineries. Some facilities have already installed gasifier systems that can use a variety of biomass materials. -- Jeff G.Farm & Ranch Guide: North Dakota's Ag Newspaper: "Current corn ethanol production uses large amounts of fossil fuels at the ethanol plant for milling, fermentation, and distillation,” Hill said. “Diverse prairie biomass could be used in their place, thereby reducing fossil energy use, fostering a fledgling cellulosic biomass production industry and realizing the many environmental benefits of restoring native grassland ecosystems."

Thursday, April 05, 2007

BlueFire plans to make ethanol and other products from municipal waste with the help of landfill methane. If the technology works, it appears they have a good model because of their low feedstock cost and not needing to transport the feedstocks far. -- Jeff G.PRESS RELEASE BlueFire CEO Addresses Shareholders: "BlueFire's current production cost estimate for the project is significantly lower than the DOE's cellulosic ethanol goal of $1.07/gal in production costs by 2012, and DOE's current estimate of approximately $2.26/gal."

Monday, April 02, 2007

In this project, electricity from wind generators, even a great distance from the site, would power generators to pressurize air into an underground aquifer. Release of that air at a later time would power generators to make electricity at times of greatest demand. -- Jeff G.Utilities plan Iowa project to store wind-generated power:U.S. Water New Online -- April 2007"...the utility owners will be able to store and produce energy at a price equivalent to 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour, then sell the energy at peak times for 8 to 10 cents a kilowatt hour."

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You might be interested in a new book by the authors of this blog entitled "Sustainable Ethanol: Biofuels, Biorefineries, Cellulosic Biomass, Flex-Fuel Vehicles, and Sustainable Farming for Energy Independence." Here are some sources for more information and ordering: